Chapter 85: Nightfall Flower (1)
Shards of a broken sword fell from Fourteen's bloody grasp. Her eye squinted a little and she let out a soft 'ow'. "That stings a bit…" She smelled the wound on her palm. "Black spider's blood and…a sap, a sticky and sour-tasting one," The knight who attacked looked at her in disbelief.
"H-how could it be…The lady who gave me that never even mentioned about the ingredients…y-you're a-"
"She's Fourteen,"
"A number?"
"That is my name and I'm proud of it," Fourteen puffed up her chest. The other soldiers started to talking amongst themselves.
"Wait, didn't the emperor said that he trained children and named them with numbers? And he named that troop…"
"I remember! The Nameless Soldiers!"
When a soldier shouted those words, the knots on their foreheads cleared up. They stepped back a little. Yllana saw a little bit of fear on their faces when they learned that they were facing the wrath of the Nameless Soldiers. "Train them hard. I want them to be ready before the South Kingdom suffers any attack," she whispered to Fourteen. One was standing on the side; his other eye was wrapped in a bandage. Who would have thought that this hateful man would survive and almost become another puppet of the emperor.
"Each superior you can see in front of you were trained mercilessly since they were babies by the previous emperors. So, if you have just started training a few years ago, think of how much you have to go through to score an even battle with them." Yes, this could be a harsh slap on the army's face, but this is a slap that someone needed to give to them. And what is more humiliating is that they belittled a girl who could easily beat them.
"And those who fail to advance in their rank within a month will receive twenty lashes," Their jaws dropped. Is this a joke? But there is no way for them to ask her anymore. Yllana already turned her back to them and started marching to the palace.
The thunder phoenix eyes concentrated on that girl's back. His eyes carried a different aura as she stared at the redhead. Would it be too late? Wasn't she just a High-Saint ranked knight-mage? He took a deep breath and gave Lucien a meaningful look. It might be too late if he decides on another day to go back to her side.
"I…will serve her, but I will wait until she gets contracted to the Lightning Sword spirit," he squeaked with his eyes peeking glances at Lucien. He even swept his hair behind his ear as a blush faintly crept up to his neck. Midel frowned seeing the thunder phoenix's reaction? Is this spirit really a phoenix? Weren't they prideful creatures? What happened to this guy's pride?
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South Kingdom
Dimshade Valley
Yellow hair and blue eyes hid among the trees within the forest. A seductive smile hung on her lips as she slid her fingers in the undergrowth. Her nails were painted red like the berries on the bush she was hiding in. But the same as the berries with those bright colors, she was clouded with danger.
Whoosh!
She turned into a ray of light in a second and charged into the carriage on the dirt road. The carriage window's curtain gently lifted when the gentle wind blew. And the lone rider within the carriage smiled at the intruder. An edgy and archaic voice sounded from the cloaked passenger. "Kheera, what does the assassin of the north visit me for?" It sounded more like a growl from his throat than words.
Clink.
It was feeble and yet enchanting, a sound so quiet but of great importance – the sound of her bell. When Kheera raised her hand, "You flatter me much valley lord," her eyes peered at the scars on his pudgy hand. "I heard you took a fancy to someone else's girl and suffered an attack from a band of half-bloods, I am only here per request of Her Highness of the North, to inquire about the attack."
"Che!" He spat. He gnashed his jagged teeth. An eye poke out of his hood and looked at the woman in red robes in front of him. She was sitting leisurely on the other side with a hand raised and swaying her bracelets. When the bells sounded again, the valley lord's eyes only concentrated on her sensual hands. There was something about her hand that captivated him. After a moment, he started stammering like a foolish lover with starry eyes, "I-I did not know that someone already marked that beggar as their woman."
Kheera tilted her head. Is this one of those men with Yllana? She had met two men who were somewhat close to that girl, one had silver hair and the other as dark as the night. There was only one thing to do to find out, "Why did they hurt you?"
"Because.." he drooled. "I did not tell him at first what the beggar was looking for in the Dimshade Valley."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The nightfall flower hehe...mmm-mhm…ehehehe" A girl who would hear his last series of laughs, which sounded more like moans, would surely misunderstand the situation. But Kheera's face did not change one bit as she continued to smile seductively in front of him and swaying her bangle.
"Where can I find one?" Maybe it was a useless question if she were to ask. 'Since Empress Blanche trusts her so much, maybe owing me a favor or two would get my master to her good side,' she thought.
"Near the half-blood army camp…"
Kheera's eyes twinkled. Now, this should be interesting information. "Where is their camp?"
"In the Paradise of Lost Souls…"
Hell…no. Kheera bit her lip. Sounds creepy and yet it is logical. To train an army of demons, wouldn't it be more fitting to train them in a dark, muddy, moldy, and foul-smelling ground? But why do human armies do not get the logic of that? Simple…
"Be careful my love…the Paradise of Lost Souls is not a place where humans can just walk in without being damaged…"
The name of the place itself is what makes it a forbidden area for beings who still want their souls intact with their bodies. Because when you enter these lands…
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Paradise of Lost Souls
Mud and blood. Although they rhyme together, General Rua didn't feel like it was the best situation to mix them both right now. But here he is still, drowning in both.
"What monstrosity is this, Darion?!" He roared. His veins in his arms and legs were popping out and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. But the former seemed as if he does not care.
Sitting on a chair made of black glass and dead twigs, Darion lazily raised one of his legs up and just yawned at his uncle's state. The general is chained in all fours and was bleeding from the wounds on his wrists and ankles. This is the accommodation that that damned demon, Remu, told them they were getting to enjoy. General Rua snarled once more to the sky. He felt like his skin was being peeled off him repeatedly for the past one whole day. It felt like hell.
"Uncle, I was only returning to you the good things that you have done to me so far. Soon, you will get used to this place. But of course, we still need that soul of yours to get ripped out of your body. Same with the others…" Darion scrutinized the southern soldiers below the black palace. There were at least a thousand soldiers that General Rua brought with him. And all of them are in the same situation as there general.
"So, you see. This is what I had to suffer from when my mother gave birth to me. A week of torment from having your soul separated from your physical body. But it is a way to widen your core and create more space for the life force to be accumulated. Isn't it amazing uncle? But I am still a failed product of a human and a demon. Tch….I can't get rid of that full moon curse on this body." Darion licked his chin. Half of his cheek still has not grown skin and the fresh blood still drips from the broken veins on that open wound.
General Rua felt a stinging pain in his eyes. What has he done to this nephew of his? Was it too late when he rescued him from the hands of the stronger demons? "D-Darion…your mother,"
"She was weak! But I do love her for still trying to bring me up even after those 'unfortunate' circumstances with father,"
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Thundering footsteps stopped them from talking. After a while, a head with long red hair tied in a messy ponytail. His beard was also red and his hairy arms were almost also red in color. Taller than an average human, bulkier than the general in chains, the towering demon bared his fangs as he entered Darion's room. All of his teeth were sharp. "You…brat," His voice was as deep as hell that it was almost akin to a growl of a monster. "You said that you have seen my daughter…where is she?" If he will not speak, no one will suspect him as a demon. His teeth were the only ones that would physically give him away. Other than that, he just looks like a tall human being with huge muscles.
"General …Indeed I have seen her. She was looking for the nightfall flower days ago in the Dimshade Valley. I think she will be back there soon." An evil glint flashed across Darion's eyes as he stared at the huge demon before him. Those red eyes were so familiar to him. Same with that shade of red hair.
"Then I…should give her this…" He took out a small flower about the size of a teacup. Its violet petals glowed every few seconds and faded back. There were five yellow stems on the center holding the pink round pollens.
Darion eyed the flower. "General, would you mind if I would be the one to give that to her? We are somehow acquainted already."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
BloodMoondust
BloodMoondust Hello dear readers!
Are you ready to know what happened to our dear Yllana? I already left the clues. Time to put those comments into motion! Next up...a revelation about Yllana and Lucien's characters.
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just another silly author
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